Many thanks to Sheila Smith Cadwalader for her permission to reprint these two letters.
The following two letters were written in
1836 and 1837 respectively. The 1836
letter was written by Eliza Espy to her
brother, William O Espy. The 1837 letter
was written by John Espy to his son,
William O Espy. The writers were
residents of Rutherford County, TN.
July 11th 1836
Dear Brother,
I received your kind letter dated the 27th of June last which gave us some
satisfaction to hear that you was well once more but was sorry to hear that you
had been confined by another spell of sickness (.) I was rejoised to hear that
you had sold the other part of your machine for I thought that you would be sure
to come home as soon as you could settle your matters then on the other hand
when you wrote in your letter that you would write as soon as court was over I
thought that did not app people are generally enjoying moderate health or as
much so as common for this season of the year. (Pg.2) Father wrote a letter to
you not long since but I think that you never got the letter (.) he wrote that
he gave the letter that you lef for Mr Ketton to him and he received the letter
but made no reply to it in any way (,) whether he wanted or not pay the money.
There has been no weddings lately here that you would care to hear about nor do
I think that there will be any so from the present prospect (.) I hope to see
you home in the course of two or three weeks (.) when you receive this letter if
you .............................. Eliza Espy
Tennessee Rutherford Cty, Jany 23rd 1837
Dear Son,
we received your kind letter without any date which gave us considerable
satisfaction to hear of you, and to
hear that your health has got better than it has been. We are enjoying good
health and have been since Eliza got over her spell in the summer. We are living
at this time in the house where Mr. Clemons was living when you was to see us
last. I have bought his place and he has moved down near his Fatherinlaws and
says that he is agoing to attend to the farm for a living(.) there has beetch
(,) pork has been worth as much as six dollars per (Pg 2) hundred and is at this
time worth from five to six dollars for hundred (.) hosses and negrows have been
and are at this time very high(.) land is very high here I gave Mr Clemons one
hundred and fifty dollars for his place(.) I can get for my place one thousand
dollars but I have come to the conclution that this is about as good a place as
any and have declined the notion of moving (.) I think often moving to be bad
business (.) I have moved but a few steps and find that to be a considerable
chance other was Eleanor Miller to Mr James M Prater (.) Mildred Miller has
moved up here and is living where Samuel Bigham did live(.) Alfred Fugett is
married to Miss Jane Norvell (?) perhaps you might have heard this spoken of
when you was here last. (Pg 3) Milton McClure and Robert Rankin has bought out
Burrie White & Isaac Miller and are doing business at the same stand (.) There
is no taulk of Miltons marrying as yet (.) Newton Clark and Harvey White are
doing business together yet (.)
William D is teaching of school at the school House near James Clarks again (.)
he has just commenced and has undertaken a school for eleven months for which he
gets two hundred dollars, We had all most lost hopes of ever hearing of you
again (.) I had a letter wrote to you to oftener and more lengthy (.) We would
like to see you very much as soon as you can make it convenient to come we would
like to know what county you are living in (.) nothing more at present but
remains your Father & sister.
John Espy
(Outside of letter) Millersburg Le (this could be Te for Tennessee?)
25th Jany (Addressed to) Mr William O Espy
Alabama State Waterloo
